Federal Way Mirror, March 01, 2013

March 01, 2013 edition of the Federal Way Mirror

.com
CRIME NEWS | Human bones identified;
Korean nightclub madam is sentenced [2]
VOL. 15, NO. 9
Mirror
F E D E R A L WAY
division of Sound Publishing
OPINION | Roegner: Are you willing to pay more taxes? [4] Jarvis: My $10,000 bet on future performing arts center [4]
BUSINESS BUZZ | Big Lots will close its
Federal Way location on April 15 [3]
SEX IN THE SUBURBS | Positive support
from adults is crucial for gay students [5]
SPORTS | Pac-12 swimming and diving
FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013 | 50¢ championships come to town [13]
CALENDAR | Upcoming events include
annual Polar Bear Plunge at Redondo [8]
Baden Schools face murky budget outlook
Sports
leaves
NEWS
quietly
By GREG ALLMAIN
gallmain@fedwaymirror.com
This year is no different than
recent years when it comes to the
2013-14 budget planning for Federal Way Public Schools (FWPS),
although state education funding
and politics create a murky picture
of what’s ahead.
“Obviously, for those of us in
McLean was referencing last
the K-12 community, we believe
year’s State Supreme Court decithat the Legislature’s response
sion on inadequate education
to the McCleary decision
funding. “The question right
EDUCATION now, that we all have, is will
should be a significant factor in their budget developit be?”
ment,” said Sally McLean,
McLean noted that the
assistant superintendent of
state’s Economic Forecast
business services, at the school
Council had predicted a “$2
board’s Feb. 26 meeting.
billion-ish” budgetary shortfall,
without addressing the McCleary
decision.
“So the state, even though we
continue to see some modest economic recovery signs, will still have
a $2 billion gap predicted in the
(2013-15) biennial budget without
addressing McCleary,” she said.
In addition, Washington voters
[ more SCHOOLS, page 12 ]
By ANDY HOBBS
Student
safety
discussion
continues
editor@fedwaymirror.com
After 20 years in Federal Way, Baden Sports
Inc. moved its world
headquarters so quietly
that city officials found
out after the fact.
The company specializes in sports equipment
like basketballs, footballs,
volleyballs, playground
balls, baseballs and axehandled bats.
In December, Baden
upgraded to a bigger
space in Renton, the city
where the family-owned
company first launched
in 1979. Baden needed
a larger facility and
“couldn’t find one in the
immediate Federal Way
area that met our needs,”
said Steve Thompson,
chief operating officer.
“We had basically outgrown the building there.”
In 1993, Baden opened
a nearly $3 million factory and warehouse in
Federal Way with 70
employees. Annual revenue in recent years has
been reported between
$27 million and $36 million, according to online
sources, and the private
company employs about
90 people.
The 60,000-square-foot
Federal Way facility now
sits vacant at S. 341st
Place and 21st Avenue S.,
[ more BADEN, page 10 ]
NEWSPAPER RACKS: To see a
list of rack locations for the print
edition of The Mirror, visit
federalwaymirror.com/about_us.
By GREG ALLMAIN
gallmain@fedwaymirror.com
Jo Ann and Dan deLeon are pictured with King County Sheriff Deputy David Lyon at an awards ceremony Tuesday at South King Fire
and Rescue’s station on South 312th Street. Jo Ann saved her husband’s life last summer when he suffered a heart attack. ANDY HOBBS, The Mirror
Quick-thinking citizens save lives
By ANDY HOBBS
editor@fedwaymirror.com
When the 4-year-old boy
stopped talking and went
unconscious, his mother
sought a neighbor for help.
Lina Yefimchuk had just
finished a CPR class the
week before. The boy was
turning blue and suffering
seizures. Yefimchuk knew
right away that he was
choking. She performed the
Heimlich maneuver and
dislodged a piece of sandwich from his throat.
“He came alive,” she said,
describing the moment she
cleared the boy’s airway.
Anatoliy and Oksana
Korets, who live near Five
Mile Lake in unincorporated King County, are
grateful Yefimchuk was
home to save little Brian’s
life last July.
“We’re blessed to have
each other next door,” said
Anatoliy Korets after his
neighbor was honored
Tuesday by South King Fire
and Rescue. “Thank God it
was one of those times she
was home.”
South King Fire also
recognized heroes in two
other life-or-death situations from 2012.
On Sept. 22, Buckley resident Donald Ymer was eating lunch at Old Country
Buffet in Federal Way when
he noticed a man choking.
[ more HEROES, page 11 ]
Pictured:
Lina
Yefimchuk
and Donald
Ymer each
used the
Heimlich
maneuver to
save a life.
From tighter security and
more cameras to anti-bully
awareness, Federal Way’s
conversation about school
safety in the wake of the
Sandy Hook Elementary
tragedy continues.
Federal Way Public
Schools (FWPS) Deputy
Superintendent Mark
Davidson gave a security
update at the school board’s
Feb. 26 meeting. Davidson
touched on what the district
has been doing since the
fateful events in Newtown,
Conn., last December.
Security audits have been
taking place at all of the district’s elementary schools,
and those audits are now
being done for the secondary schools.
Dave Remmem, safety
and security manager for
FWPS, is currently doing
safety audits at each school,
Davidson said.
“He’s completed the audits at the 23 K-8 (schools)
we have,” Davidson said.
“He’s now working with
the secondary schools,
and once that’s completed,
Federal Way Police Department, school security and
each principal will be working together on the plans
[ more SAFETY, page 12 ]